U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,107, describes an ultrasound imaging probe. The probe has a probe assembly that comprises an ultrasonic transducer mounted rotatably on a distal end of a series of articulation links for flexure in different directions. The probe assembly is flexed by a cable drive that has an articulation control cable connected to the articulation links. Tension applied by the cable moves the articulation links to flex the probe assembly. The transducer is connected to signal transmitting electrical conductors to provide a transducer assembly. Ultrasonic waves from the transducer is reflected from a probed area of a medical patient. The transducer converts reflected ultrasonic waves to scanned electrical signals that are channeled along the signal transmitting conductors to apparatus that creates a scanned video image of the probed area. Clarity and definition of the image is increased by increasing the number of signal transmitting conductors, and consequently increasing the number of channels, for transmitting the scanned signals.
Increasing the number of signal transmitting conductors has, in the past, caused a corresponding increase in the size of the transducer assembly and the size of the cable assembly that contains the cable drive and the signal transmitting conductors. Particularly, the cable assembly and the transducer assembly must remain compact in size for non-injurious entry into a human body cavity, for example, an esophageal cavity, defined by human tissue. In the past, an ultrasound imaging probe assembly having both a cable drive and signal transmitting conductors has been difficult to construct in a compact size.
Further, a probe extended along an esophageal cavity is subject to damage by reflexive biting by a medical patient. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,086 describes a probe according to which articulation control cables are proximate a center axis of a probe to avoid damage to the cables by reflexive biting by a medical patient. A desired probe is one that is adapted to avoid damage to the signal transmitting conductors, as well as to the control cables.